How to make the most of storytime for children
BY CHRIS BARTLETT
Franchise Owner, Primrose School of South Gilbert
The value of reading with young children is well documented. Beyond developing early language and literacy skills, reading increases children’s ability to understand the emotions of others—a critical life skill that leads to empathy and compassion. Parents can help support the development of these skills by being intentional with storytime. In addition to making reading together a regular routine in your household, consider these age-specific tips and book recommendations to make the most of story time during the first five years of your child’s life.
begin to associate reading with comfort, warmth and security. Sturdy board books with bright illustrations are easiest to handle and invite participation. Books with familiar subjects, such as babies and animals, resonate since babies respond to faces and eyes before other stimuli.
Before Birth: During pregnancy, reading establishes voice recognition and promotes cognitive development in babies. The rhythm and melody of voices serve as the prenatal foundation for language. Choose rhythmic stories with cadence, warm tones or repetition— repetition leads to recognition! Primrose suggests: “How Do I Love You?” by Marion Dane Bauer or “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin Jr.
Birth to Age 1: Reading books should be a favorite bedtime activity at this age. With daily “tuck-in” stories and snuggling together at bedtime, infants
Primrose suggests: “Peek-a Who?” by Nina Laden or “Counting Kisses” by Karen Katz. Ages 1 to 3: Reading a wide variety of stories helps toddlers build vocabulary and understand story sequencing. A sequence of events that is both interesting and understandable helps children identify with a book. Ask lots of questions, act silly and try out different character voices to make reading dramatic and engaging. Vivid illustrations, along with rhyming and repetitive text, will encourage lively dialogue. Primrose suggests: “Book!” by Kristine O’Connell George or “From Head to Toe” by Eric Carle.
Ages 4 to 5: Preschoolers should be encouraged to discover the magic of books for themselves. Books can help young children understand their own feelings when characters face similar life events, so pick topics they may be curious about. Also introduce new genres and topics, and more complex story structures for them to explore. Primrose suggests: “The Red Book” by Barbara Lehman or “A Splendid Friend, Indeed” by
than 3 million visitors to our Maricopa County libraries. That is more than the number of people who visited Mount Rushmore! In the past year, our libraries circulated 7.4 million items. Stacked on top of one another, that would reach a height of 116 miles. If electronic books (e-books) are your thing, the Maricopa County libraries are right there with you. There were more than 729,000 e-book checkouts in 2014, an 81 percent increase from 2012. In the spirit of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I encourage you to read to your children daily or take an opportunity to read to a child in need. For information about upcoming events and programs, or volunteering at one of our many libraries, visit www.mcldaz.org.
Reading is an essential life skill to acquire. Expose your children to reading; you’ll be glad you did.
Denny Barney is a Gilbert resident and member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Suzanne Bloom.
Parents also can help extend children’s learning during storytime by following the READ acronym, which was developed by the teacher training arm of the Atlanta Speech School—the nation’s most comprehensive center for language and literacy:
• Repeat books three to five times. Discuss the story, characters and new vocabulary in each book.
• Engage in and enjoy reading, using
different voices for the characters to bring each story to life.
• Ask “why” questions, letting your child share his ideas about the story.
• Do more with the book. Reinforce the story through related activities. To learn about Primrose School of South Gilbert, visit www.primrosesouthgilbert.com or call (480) 633-5635. For more helpful parenting tips and information, visit our blog at www.PrimroseSchools. com/blog.
Is that all you people do is complain about President Obama and credit card callers? Can’t we talk about something else?
“If it feels good, do it” is the culture of America today. Hey parents and grandparents—young and elderly! Get off the phone, computer and television for hours on end! You’re probably chatting with someone you would be better off without anyway! What about spending quality time together as a family? Things are replaceable;
people are not. Have a hard time prioritizing? Why not try putting God first? In Him your life will be found and nothing else! Seek Him with your whole heart! He loves you! Let Him lead you and guide you into all truth!
No kidding, Donald. The middle class is disappearing because there are billionaires like you who won’t share enough. They leave town to pay their taxes to another country or not at all to America.
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Well, gee, all of the commercials are so thoughtful of adults and their football games. They only run their streamers across the bottom of the TV so as not to disturb the games. Why can’t the dummies do that for the children when they show the parades and stop interrupting them all the time?
Hey thank you for printing grandma’s complaints about the annoying phone calls. It was finally heard by the right person who can do something about it. Thank you so much for making more people aware of these annoying so-called robo calls. I’m going to keep on complaining as long as they keep on calling.
Surprise, surprise. Russian President Vladimir Putin approves of Donald Trump being president of the United States. What does that tell anyone with a brain? The country’s going to the dogs and the dogs are ready to eat everyone else up. Help!
the families of homeless vets, it would be a better world. It would be a better world if you woke up and looked at your neighbors.
It’s been reported that 24 percent of the nation are followers of Trump’s ideas and his trashy garbage comments. That leaves 76 percent to educate them. What are you doing about it?
Everyone with automatic withdrawals for bills to be paid should start paying attention when they automatically go up and forget to tell you that; that goes for prescription medicine that doubles in cost and automatically comes off your credit card. Oh lucky you. You know you can protest it and have it redone with your doctor’s request. Pay attention.
The State Department under John Kerry and previously under Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt, inept agency ever. They appeared at a government hearing and they were asked questions they should have been prepared to answer. They have no control over who they are letting in this country. It is an absolute disgrace, the inept people we have running our government.
I am fed up with the establishment Republicans who passed a $1.1 trillion budget giving Obama everything he wanted including funding the refugee resettlement in our country. Is it any wonder that Americans want nothing to do with the establishment Republicans? It’s time for Washington, D.C., to be cleaned up. I’ve never seen it so corrupt—so much fraud, so much waste. This is not how America is supposed to operate.
Just a word of advice for people who are anti-same-sex marriage: If you’re so against it, don’t marry of the same sex. What business is it of yours who marries who?
Obama keeps insisting that Gitmo be closed because it is a recruiting tool for ISIS. This is a lie. It was a recruiting tool for al-Qaeda, but ISIS does not use it as such. I am so sick and tired of this president and his administration lying to the American people.
During the State of the Union address, Obama lied, lied, lied to the American people. No, Mr. President, the economy is not good. Yes, Mr. President, ISIS is a threat to Americans. They are here. Their security advisers tell you they’re here. You think they’re not here? Tell that to the families of the victims of Fort Hood, Chattanooga, San Bernardino and Philadelphia (where the policeman was shot by a man in Muslim garb who claimed allegiance to ISIS). How dumb do you think the American people are, Mr. Obama? You are living in a different universe. You are not facing reality and you are putting us all in danger.
If only those generous people toward animal life were as conscious of and as generous to
Why can’t the National Rifle Association boneheads get it through their boneheads that you can have all the guns you want? You just need a license to buy the ammunition. It’s a simple answer and every bonehead ought to be able to understand it. You need to have a license to buy the ammunition for it then children can stop killing children, and mentally challenged people can’t get a license for it, either. Keep your stupid guns but you need a license for the ammunition.
The Curmudgeon is disgusting. He gives the Curmuddy Award to Obama and ignores Trump. Marco Rubio is most likely the Republican nominee and his plan to fight ISIS is no different than Obama’s. This country may have a high fear level, but we don’t want to put our loved ones back to boots on the ground. There were too many severely wounded and not cared for by Veterans Affairs.
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